


if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall

by SapphoIsBurning



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Apologies, Chocolate Box Treat, Dean leaving WWE, M/M, Reunions, Sami returning, discussion of past ambrollins, established past sambrose, frank discussion of Dean's injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 08:56:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17763746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphoIsBurning/pseuds/SapphoIsBurning
Summary: Sami returns just about the time Dean decides he's leaving, and they have some words about that. And then it becomes more than words.





	if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [APgeeksout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APgeeksout/gifts).



> Title from "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane. Note: I wrote this in early February 2019 pretending that Sami has come back from injury already.
> 
> (A note from your chocolatier: I promise this was inspired by your prompt, if really obliquely! Hope it suits.)

Dean was leaving the production office at the moment Sami was about to go in.

They were looking down, and Sami noticed the familiar worn black boots and jeans at the same time Dean noticed the Vans and twitchy hands.

“You’re back,” Dean said, as if he wasn’t prepared for it.

“You’re leaving,” Sami said. “Why did I hear it from Twitter first?”

Dean grimaced and sucked in air through his nose. “That’s just how it is these days. You could have called.”

Sami pulled the flat cap off his head and wrung it in his hands. “Where are you going?”

“Not here,” Dean said. 

“I’ve been not here,” Sami said. “But now I’m here. And...I’d rather be here, for now.”

“That’s great for you, Sami,” Dean said. “You had a jaunt through Europe while you were out, see a few Rancid shows, meet up with your pals. I was shitting my brains out in a hospital, my arm rotting off. Puts things in perspective.”

“Oh,” Sami said, his mouth opening and closing a little bit.

“I’ll see you around, or not,” Dean said. He took off before either of them could make it any worse.

***

“I didn’t know it was that bad,” Sami said. He perched on a concrete bench with his knees pulled up to his chin, back against the wall.

“Nobody knew. He always plays things close to his chest.” Seth scrolled through instagram absentmindedly while talking. 

They sat in silence, watching the production crew load out the trucks. They would be on the road soon.

“Are you.” Sami said. He didn’t finish the question.

“How can you even ask that?”

“Oh come on, Seth, you know why.”

Seth grimaced and chewed a fingernail. “No. We’re not. I thought we might again but it’s like pissing into the wind.”

“You’re not supposed to piss into the wind,” Sami added.

“Yeah,” Seth said. “I guess I’m not supposed to have anything good that lasts, either. He’s all yours, for what it’s worth.”

“I’m sorry,” Sami said, turning, his forehead a crease of worry and apprehension. “I wish I had been here sooner.”

“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” He stood up. “I gotta go check in with my ride to Saginaw, I’ll see you later.”

“Later.”. A bird flew overhead making a racket. Sami looked up—a sparrow was nesting in the drainpipe of the overhang outside the arena. Seemed like a dangerous place to hang your hopes, but what did Sami know about that?

***

It was after the Saginaw house show that they really got to talking. 

“I was afraid,” Sami said. 

“Of what?” Dean folded his arms.

“That I changed,” Sami said. “That you wouldn’t want me any more, that we were on the wrong side of things now.”

Dean laughed one sad chuckle. “Well. You see how that turned out.”

“I’m sorry,” Sami said. “I really didn’t know.” He crossed his legs where he sat on the hotel bed.

“I could have told you I was feeling low,” Dean said. “Instead of isolating myself, acting like nobody cared. Not like I was out there advertising it on Twitter.” He hovered, leaning against a partition wall.

“But...it sounded like you were reading mine,” Sami said cautiously.

“Mostly for the pictures. See your face.” Dean looked down.

Sami stood and approached Dean. He put a finger under his chin, lifting his gaze up. “Well, now you can look all you want.”

“You looked like you were having fun,” Dean said.

“Some fun, when I wasn’t suffering through PT. Now we both know about not being able to lift our arms.”

“Paris looked fun.”

“Would have been more fun with you,” Sami said. “I’ll bring you next time.”

Dean laughed. “Yeah, well. I’ll have some free time on my hands coming up, just as soon as you get busy again.”

“Doesn’t matter. I missed you, Dean, I fucking missed you! You cut your hair!” Sami ran his hand up the back of Dean’s head, caressing the soft, short fuzz on the back of his head.

Dean’s brow creased. “Do you like it?”

“You look great,” Sami said softly.

“I look like I just got out of prison,” Dean said. “They even put it all over my new merch. I’m the one who makes something of himself from the old neighborhood and I play a criminal on TV. I just can’t do it anymore, Sami, I—” He cut himself off with a breath.

They were close. Very close. Dean put his hand to Sami’s waist, and it was less that two moves from there to kissing, kissing like sweethearts, Sami tasting the cherry chapstick like always. Dean held on to him tightly, swinging him around to press him against the wall. Sami shivered as Dean pressed kisses into the crease of his neck. Neither of them had any words left.

Sami tugged Dean over to the bed. He threw the covers back and got in. Dean rolled his eyes and bent down to untie his boots, making a big show of kicking off one, then the other, then slipping under the covers with Sami, close together between crisp sheets. They kissed and rocked and got reacquainted with each other in all the right ways. Everything felt good and right and precious and so much like a relief. They let go into each other.

***

Later, they got back to talking.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Retire,” Dean sighed.

“Really?”

“So they think. There’s all these little indie promotions in LA, Reno, couple in Sacramento, the east bay, and then Vegas. I’m going to wrestle there, just the local circuit.” Dean turned to look Sami in the eye, looking mischievous. “Under a mask.”

Sami’s mouth was a horizontal line. “You are kidding me.”

“Would you let me be Hijo de El Generico?” Dean asked. His eyes were bright.

“Absolutely not.”

Dean laughed. “Figured it was worth a shot. But...they’ll never know it’s me, I’m sure. I’ll be a man of mystery. I got enough money saved up. I can wrestle for fun again. You remember fun, right?”

Sami sighed. “It seems like it’s hard to come by these days.”

“There’s a promotion in Oakland where their main babyface is a rabbit who loves cocaine,” Dean said in wonder.

“Like a real rabbit?” Sami asked.

“No, babe, like a guy in a costume. I want to wrestle the rabbit. I want to make bad decisions again. Too many smart ones in a row.”

“Am I a bad decision or a good one?” Sami asked.

“Best one I ever made.” Dean’s eyes were soft. “You could come with me, you know.”

Sami sighed and sank down into the fluffy pillows. “See how things go with the rabbit, then call me.”

“I will this time,” Dean said. “I promise.”


End file.
